OTTAWA - The Harper government will not fund overseas projects that enable war rape victims and child brides to obtain abortions, International Development Minister Christian Paradis said Friday.

The Conservative position on the matter was unclear last week after it backed initiatives at the United Nations to tackle sexual violence and forced marriages.

But Paradis said government policy will follow the same logic as that outlined when Canada announced $3 billion for maternal and child health at the 2010 G8 summit in Muskoka. At the time, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said none of the those dollars would go toward abortion services because there were enough other worthy initiatives to support.

"We've been clear in Muskoka, so you can think the same logic will apply here," Paradis said, after a meeting of the Canadian Network on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.

"There are plenty of measures that can be taken and Muskoka demonstrated that and we'll follow it in a consistent way with Muskoka."

That's a change from comments made by the president of the Canadian International Development Agency in 2010. While Canada has never directly funded abortions, Margaret Biggs told a committee that the agency would continue to fund aid groups who might provide referrals for abortion services.

CIDA was folded into the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade earlier this year.

The Liberals and NDP denounced Paradis' comments. NDP Leader Tom Mulcair noted that rape has become a strategy of war, particularly in parts of Africa.

"Women who are victims of criminal sexual violence in those countries have a right to get care and help, including a safe abortion," Mulcair said.

"We find it simply unacceptable that Stephen Harper is sending out his ministers to stake out that type of ideological position instead of helping victims who need and deserve our help."

The Conservative government is making a mistake, said Liberal international development critic Kirsty Duncan.

"Minister Paradis is wrong," Duncan said. "The victims of sexual violence need the support of countries like Canada. Period."

Abortion continues to be a topic of debate in the House of Commons, coming up periodically as Conservative MPs bring forward private member's bills on the issue. An annual pro-life rally on Parliament Hill draws thousands of participants.

Harper, for his part, has repeatedly said he does not want to re-open the divisive debate.

Matthew Wojciechowski, spokesman for Campaign Life Coalition, applauded the government for standing by the position it took on the G8 funding. He said the aid focus should be on studying and preventing the causes of violence.

"On this whole situation dealing with war rape and child marriage, which are evil and horrible situations, I really believe the ... pro-abortion groups, especially at the UN, are totally hijacking this issue and making it about pushing forward the reproductive rights and their abortion agenda," Wojciechowski said.

An upcoming report to the UN Security Council from Secretary General Ban-Ki moon is expected to recommend access to abortion services for pregnancies resulting from rape during conflict, according to the Global Justice Center in New York.

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird delivered a speech to the United Nations last week calling for more action on child and forced marriages. He also publicly backed a British initiative condemning sexual violence during conflict.

Ottawa pledged $5 million in the spring to help victims of such sexual violence. So far, nearly $1 million has gone to a family hotline in Afghanistan which refers victims to legal, medical and psychological help.

Paradis said further details on how Canada will address both issues will be announced in due course.

The British government explicitly said earlier this year that its development budget can be used to provide abortion care where allowed by national laws.

"In conflict situations, where denying an abortion in accordance with national law would threaten the mother’s life or cause unbearable suffering, international humanitarian law principles may justify performing an abortion," reads the statement by the U.K. Department for International Development.

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Best And Worst G20 Countries To Be A Woman

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Click FULL SCREEN to view slides in detail.

Click FULL SCREEN to view slides in detail.In Canada, 62 per cent of university graduates in 2008 were women.

Click FULL SCREEN to view slides in detail.In Germany, 83 years of age is the average life expectancy for women.

Click FULL SCREEN to view slides in detail.In the United Kingdom, 22.3 per cent of judges are women.

Click FULL SCREEN to view slides in detail.Almost 36 per cent of parliamentary seats are held by women.

Click FULL SCREEN to view slides in detail.In France, new moms get 16 weeks of full paid maternity leave.

Click FULL SCREEN to view slides in detail.60 per cent of masters degrees earned in 2008 were held by women.

Click FULL SCREEN to view slides in detail.The life expectancy of women in Japan is 87.

Click FULL SCREEN to view slides in detail.In Italy, 57.7 per cent of students enrolled in tertiary education are female.

Click FULL SCREEN to view slides in detail.Moms in Argentina get 90 days of full paid maternity leave.

Click FULL SCREEN to view slides in detail.In South Korea, 6 out of 10 men say they have more of a right to work when jobs are scarce.

Click FULL SCREEN to view slides in detail.At least 250, 000 children are believed to be involved in prostitution.

Click FULL SCREEN to view slides in detail.In Turkey, 3.8 million women are illiterate.

Click FULL SCREEN to view slides in detail.At least 14, 000 women die every year from domestic violence in Russia.

Click FULL SCREEN to view slides in detail.In 2008, 1.09 million girls were dead or "missing" at birth due to infanticide.

Click FULL SCREEN to view slides in detail.In Mexico, 1 out of 4 women experience sexual abuse by a partner.

Click FULL SCREEN to view slides in detail.In South Africa, 42.3 per cent of seats held in politics are by women.

Click FULL SCREEN to view slides in detail.At least 90 per cent of women claim to be sexually assaulted in the workplace.

Click FULL SCREEN to view slides in detail.Women were given the right to vote in Saudi Arabia in 2011.

Click FULL SCREEN to view slides in detail.Almost 45 per cent of girls in India are married before they turn 18.